My Daily Thoughts
I am sitting having my morning coffee looking out at my lake. Actually, it is a stormwater pond but lake sounds much better. It is
A key idea for living a fulfilling life is to find alignment between work and self. The more the work you do resonates with who
In order to perform a solution assessment, you need to understand what the critical success factors are and who is creating those factors. A Lamborghini
When you think of personality traits don’t think in black and white. If you are outgoing you can be a little outgoing or a lot
When designing processes to accomplish business needs the process is separate from the tools that will be used to implement the process. The process needs
One of the biggest challenges for a business analyst is selling change. People don’t like change regardless of whether it is a good change or
Your investment goals are the goals that require the longest time frame. Long time frames allow you to see the benefits of exponential growth. If
Life is the pursuit of excellence. This is a very different statement from “Be excellent” In the pursuit of excellence, the focus is on the
Do you live for tomorrow or today? The answer is both. It is a balancing act of maximizing your happiness and fulfillment today without sacrificing
When learning a new domain focus on the concepts. When you understand the concepts you can make intelligent conclusions about the domain. When you understand
The key to unraveling complexity is to simplify. By simplify, I mean unraveling the complexity. What are the things that are combined to create the
As a business analyst, when you are in a position of leading the client in terms of a change, sometimes it is the little things
First-principles thinking applies to business processes. Starting with current state, take each step in the business process and break it down into smaller steps that
An effective journaling practice is to respond to the same question over a period of time. Ideally, you do not look at your previous answers
When tackling any problem or issue, the first step is always awareness. Find out whatever you can about the problem, the domain of the problem,
There are two ways to increase speed. You either need to increase the force creating the speed or decrease the friction slowing the speed down.
To take your life to another level you need to change who you are. The best way to change who you are is by putting
How different would your life be if you never forgot anything? Anything you read, any ideas you have, names of everyone you meet, everything you
I really enjoy the show Shark Tank One mistake I see some of the entrepreneurs make is putting a value on the work they have
Many times in life it feels like we are doing the same thing over and over again. It is like being lost where you see
Ten Reasons I Journal To improve myself To document my life experiences To cultivate gratefulness To organize my life A medium to ponder life’s big
A PBOK is your personal book of knowledge. Record your thoughts, learning, ideas, wisdom Record your life experiences Create long term reminders See your progress
What I find annoying is needing to fix something in my house and I can’t find the tool. I end up spending far longer looking
When it comes to designing your PBOK the best thing you can do is start. Creating an organizational structure for your PBOK requires you to
Your brain is a connection-making machine It is constantly trying to make new connections and relationships with the knowledge and experience it has. If you
A business analyst facilitates change in an organization. The facilitation of the change is done through the facilitation of decisions. The decision could be for
Curiosity is a key trait for business analysts. This is especially true for contract business analysts that go from project to project. At the start
I have struggled with figuring out how to aspire to a day that I would rank a 10 out of 10. I have had awesome
When trying to understand something new, or to solve a problem there is a tendency to jump directly to the end. Either we understand or
There is more to objectives than just achieving a goal. Once you have determined the objectives required to reach all of your goals be strategic
What went well? My focus on creating a daily practice is starting to pay dividends. My journaling practice related to my daily practice is now
One way of measuring the quality of your goals is by how inspirational they are. When the idea of achieving your goal excites you, you
In any endeavor, there is a chance that you won’t be successful. If you are aware of your chances of a successful outcome at the
“Outcome, process, metrics” is my framework for improvement. Start with determining the outcome you want to achieve. Be as clear as possible in what the
In any endeavor, there are factors outside your control that affect the outcome. Sometimes that outcome will not materialize at all, sometime you will only
When you think of what you could accomplish over the span of the next four years it seems as if there is lots of time.
When determining the current state for a project or an organization you need to identify the process that is followed as well as the tools
I was helping my daughter with math for reducing equations with exponents. All the different complicated questions come down to a handful of rules. If
Being a creator where you bring something into existence has benefits when you view it from the lens of Pareto’s law. Pareto’s law states that
When organizing your digital personal book of knowledge (PBOK) there are four mechanisms for organizing the notes. These organizational structures are based on Obsidian but
In terms of being productive, there is lots of advice on focusing on doing a few things really well. The more you can focus on
In business analysis, the high-level requirements are called business requirements. Business requirements answer the question of “Why”. When describing a system within an organization the
My high-level current state framework consists of Why -> Who -> How – > What Why Why is the current state the way it is?
For me, the hardest part of creating a practice isn’t what to do it’s what not to do. An effective practice needs to effectively manage
If we take a root-cause approach to our children’s behavior we find that their behavior is the result of their feelings and their feelings are
The ultimate goal of life design is creating a life where you have control over the life you create. There will always be aspects of
People have marketing backward. Figure out something of value, something you use in your life where there is not a better alternative for you. Create
Just a thought … If we are living in a simulation then I believe the simulation was created for it’s beauty and we were created
The steps for creating a new habit Determine the habit you want to create. Be clear exactly how the new habit fits into your life.
Today is a day to remember the victims and the families of the victims. Today is a day to remember the events of 9-11 and
As a business analyst, I approach any change by understanding three things: current state, future state, and the gap between the two. When it comes
I am slowly building my practice. I am not a type-A personality that can have a rigid schedule down to 15-minute increments. That simply does
One of the first things a business analyst should do when learning a new domain is to create a glossary. Creating a glossary does two
Your experiences have value, they are the one things you have that no one else can have. In order to keep those experiences, turn them
I am just returning from a week of camping in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada. One revelation that really strikes me is that dinosaurs
I am currently on vacation and the following are some of the thoughts and ideas I have been contemplating. Do digital pictures accelerate history? Where
There are many ways to be stupid. Accepting conclusions without understanding the facts. Making decisions based on how you feel today. Thinking that what worked
One lesson that hiking has taught me is to never be lost. One tactic that I always use hiking is to continually look back as
Our memories are not great. As we go through life, there are some experiences we remember, but many experiences we forget. If there is not
One lesson that meditation has taught me is that the focus on the breath is a small way of teaching yourself to live in the
What went well? Daily practice is becoming refined. 31 posts for my personal blog. Obsidian version of JournaledLife is progressing. Camping in Jasper and Dinosaur
Writing your thoughts down frees up that part of your brain that was contemplating those thoughts. It is a liberating experience to get thoughts that
Knowledge has become democratized over time. At one time, knowledge was kept by the elders or shamans of a tribe. They memorized the knowledge and
Your values are reflected in the experiences you have in life. For any experience, what was important about the experience? For any experience, what did
The question of Who Am I is the only question in life that only you can answer. It is a question that allows you to
On the surface, reaching for the stars seems to be an external pursuit. In reality, it is an internal pursuit. Being given the opportunity to
Use cases are an excellent tool for documenting the steps in a system. At a detailed level, the functioning of a system is captured. The
As a business analyst, you create many different types of artifacts. You create models, use cases, user stories, business requirement documents, meeting notes, the list
I read a fascinating quote about who you were, who you are, and who you will be. You’re a community of selves stretched across time.
Whether in business or in life, there is a saying that if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it. This is a valuable saying because
One of the first things a business analyst should do on an engagement is to determine the business drivers. What are those components of the
For me, after I have had an experience the feeling part of the experience starts to fade. I can remember that I experience something exciting,
A system is a reflection of the understanding of the domain the system runs in. The data that the system uses and creates is the
A capability is anything you do that produces something that someone finds valuable. Every capability has inputs, processes, and outputs To live a successful life
A context diagram is a high-level data flow diagram. The focus of the context diagram is the system that is undergoing a change. The context
When a business analyst works on a team, the understanding of scope is very important. It is one of the key understandings that the project
A business analyst is an agent for change. It is important to remember that the change is being made by the business, not by the
Part of a business analyst’s role is to help all stakeholders come to a shared understanding of a change. Understanding the change requires the stakeholders
Every stakeholder is unique. Every stakeholder is going to different criteria for judging what is important. On top of that, every stakeholder is going to
A big part of being a business analyst is understanding the domain in which a change is happening. That understanding is more than just knowledge,
The gap is where the fun happens. The gap is where business analysis is more art than science. If we have a well-defined current state
The future state defines the outcome of the change a business analyst is creating within a company. The more clarity the business analyst has in
The understanding current state is crucial to understand. The current state of an initiative is the starting point. Without a starting point, a map is
A business analyst facilitates change in an organization. A perspective to view change is to view change as a decision. To make a valid decision
The best bonsai are the ones with character. Those bonsai that look like old weathered trees in the wild. That character is built with wind,
A belief that I feel more people should have is the belief that focusing on value is the path to a fulfilled life. If we
A skill is simply a task that you can perform. Some skills can be done by many people, some skills only by a few. A
Your “Why” and your “Purpose” are two different things. Your “Why” answers the question of why you are living the life you are living. Your
A decision matrix is a decision-making tool that is used to evaluate a set of alternatives. Typically a decision matrix will have a set of
One of my most important values is intelligence. The decisions I make in life I want to make because I have a solid understanding of
Happiness is the value by which I measure my life. It something does not make me happy it is not worth doing. Sometimes that happiness
What went well? Daily practice is becoming refined. Consistent blogging for personal blog Spent more time camping with my family What didn’t go well? July
For me, freedom is the state where I make decisions based on my internal compass. Freedom comes down to opportunity. You need multiple opportunities in
I value creativity because the exploration of ideas brings me joy. There is nothing better than coming to a new realization or seeing a situation
Almost everything you do in life is predicated on your health. A healthy body gives you options for what you can do physically. A healthy
One of my values is family. The connections with my children are the most important part of my life. My family brings so much joy,
As a business analyst, I understand that a key success metric for a project is understanding the high-level business requirements. What is the business ultimately
Don’t view obstacles as barriers or walls to get over in order to get to your life. Those obstacles are part of life, they are
If you take all your beliefs together, they form your philosophy. You can either have a philosophy of random beliefs you have picked up or
Creating a routine that you will follow is based on discipline. When you first create the routine, create the minimum routine that will make a
If you think of your morning routine as a morning ritual it will help you to internalize those tasks that you want to complete every
In today’s world of SaaS, cloud solutions, and entrepreneurs creating solutions where every they see the opportunity it makes the business analysts job of recommending
Do it Yourself or DIY is useful only if you enjoy doing the work. What if you need the outcome but you don’t enjoy the
Here is a thought for those who question how far we should go to protect people during COVID. What if you get COVID, and within
You may think that keeping a map of where you are and where you are going is not needed. If you know exactly where you
There is a fast way of doing things and a slow and steady way of doing things. There is a quick road to a goal
One type of note that you will have in your PBOK (Personal Body of Knowledge) is timeline notes. Timeline notes are notes about experiences you
When you have ideas it is best to get them into your PBOK (Personal Body of Knowledge) as you have them. At this point, they
The Pomodoro technique is an effective time management technique. The process breaks down into five steps. Choose the one thing you will accomplish Choose the
A budget is not about money, it is about lifestyle. Your budget is a reflection of your life design. The goal of a budget is
When putting together processes to get you to your dream life, you have to take your self into account. You have strengths, weaknesses, obstacles, quirks,
Value that can be created quickly can also be recreated quickly. Value that takes time to create takes time to recreate. If it can be
No matter what you are doing, you should have a map. For many things, a map is just a process or a set of steps
An outcome map is an excellent tool for seeing the cause and effect of creating new capabilities. Start with the main or high-level capabilities or
Life Principle: Always try to make things a little bit better. If you make something 1% better every day for a year it will be
Who is the person who will live your vision? Who do you need to be to reach your goals? Who do you want to be
There is a metaphor of putting your biggest rocks in a bucket first. See Rocks in a Bucket Applying this to your everyday planning means
Creating a vision takes effort. A vision has to be big enough to drive us forward, but not too big as to be unattainable. It
As an entrepreneur, we tend to go for the million dollar idea. This is a similar trait to trying to find a 10-bagger in the
As a business analyst almost everything you do needs to be communicated to someone. Everyone has different agendas, learning styles, and needs Executives don’t want
Creating interpretations based on facts is either a long methodical process of searching for facts and putting them together into interpretations. If you are a
When making life decisions it is important to make the decision within each of the life areas. Is the decision good for my health? Is
What went well? Consistent blogging for personal blog Created routines for blogging, investing, learning Received my second COVID vaccine Spent time camping with my family
Discover, analyze, innovate, communicate encapsulates my business analysis approach. This approach works not only in business analysis but in my daily life as well. Discover
As part of your PBOK (Personal Body of Knowledge), you will have your interpretations and the associated facts documented. This gives you a solid foundation
Freedom is a value that almost everyone has. To truly live a life of freedom you need to look at freedom from many different perspectives.
Thinking deeply on subjects so that you can take your own unique stand supported by facts and your experiences. Having a well-thought-out position supported by
Pursue happiness and fulfillment both short-term and long-term. Don’t give up long-term happiness for short-term happiness. Don’t give up short-term happiness for long-term happiness. Don’t
Do something to make yourself happy every day. It doesn’t have to be big, you just have to derive happiness from it. Go on a
Create job procedures for everything you do. There are several benefits to this practice. You complete the task every time, with a written job procedure
Encouragement is important, it gets us over those difficult humps on our life path. What you put out in life comes back to you, so
If you want a life without regrets, work backwards from the day you die until today. What do you want your life to look like
I read a great article today about the benefits of getting out in nature. The article was How Much Time Should You Spend Outside, According
User stories are a business analysis technique for capturing requirements. User stories can also be used to help us define our life roles and what
A PBOK is your personal book of knowledge. In the world, today, to get ahead and to stand out you need to be creative. You
Requirements are the building blocks for many things other than the solution. When you need to explain the solution to an executive you will use
A core life principle is to know yourself. Businesses spend a lot of time and money itemizing inventory, itemizing assets, creating capability maps, understanding strengths
Creating your personal book of knowledge (PBOK) follows three basic steps 1. Collect the facts 1. Create interpretations to understand the facts 1. Create interpretations
A PBOK is a personal book of knowledge. It is the collection of your knowledge, ideas, and experience. Creating, maintaining, and cultivating your PBOK is
From a high-level many applications have three main components. 1. They collect data 2. They apply business rules to that data 3. They produce an
Take the time to step back and decide for yourself where you want to go in this life. You only get one life, don’t get
This life principle is about focusing on the value you create for others. It is the person or the people that you are creating value
Life Principle #3 is to view your life journey as a learning journey. The lifelong learning life principle goes hand in hand with the curiosity
They say that “Knowledge is Power”, but nowadays anyone can look up knowledge anytime anywhere on their phones. Knowledge is now cheap. Many of the